1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to dispensing containers and particularly to a container for dispensing sheet material from a roll having improved cutting means, and the apparatus and method for applying the cutting means to the container.
2. Description of Prior Art
Heretofore, most commercial dispensing containers having cutting means include a serrated metal blade riveted to one of a wall or flange of the container with the serrated edge protruding beyond the edge of the container. Examples of these cutting means are shown in Canadian Pats. Nos. 516,550, Klause, 1955; 566,544, Burbank, 1958; 574,548, Burbank, 1959; 581,682, Annen, 1959; and 685,894, Holcombe, 1964. In any of these examples, where metal blades are used, there is a potential safety hazard since the serrated edge of the blade is usually ragged from the stamping method of forming the blade. The person using the dispenser is often apt to pass his hands over the blade when retrieving the free end of the sheet material or to accidentally rap his knuckles across the blade, thereby causing injury.
It is also customary in manufacturing such dispensers with metal cutting blades to form the blade with a stamp die and immediately rivet the blade to the carton blank. However, since a press is required for the stamping step and since a different die must be cut for every variation in length or pitch of the teeth of the blade, the operation is relatively expensive. Even in quantity production, the cost of making and adding the serrated metal blade is considerable in the per item cost of producing the carton dispenser.
Furthermore, since the metal blade is usually attached to the carton by riveting at points which are spaced apart, it is normal to find a portion of the blade at each end thereof which is unattached and thus it can be readily hooked or caught, causing the blade to be bent out of shape.
Attempts have been made to replace the metal blade on dispensing cartons by serrating the edge of a flange on the carton and then coating the edge of the carton with a plastic material, such as described in Canadian Pats. Nos. 651,799, Perkins et al., 1962, and 738,265, Finn et al., 1966. Since the teeth of the serrated edges are cut in the carton material and merely coated or impregnated with plastic resin, the edges of these teeth become unacceptably blunt and, therefore, such arrangements are not suitable for cutting certain types of sheet material.